Clementia Animi
by Daje Elle Namte
Summary: The Shadows, resenting their forgotten status, create a child to bring the world back under their control. Once of age, they sent their creation to earth. But the shadows made a mistake... they gave their perfect child a heart. SetoYami


Special thanks to **Dragon **for beta-ing this chapter, as well as providing the plot demon and talking me through this. Also, inspiration comes daily from the awesome and incredibly talented people at the Kokoro no Yami yahoo group… their discussions and general fun-ness add so much to this story, even if the members unknowingly do so.

**Author's Notes: **_Clementia Animi_, in Latin, means "kind/gentle/humane at heart". This story could be considered light yaoi or close, rather touchy friendship (but still het). The only, even if only implied, shounen-ai pairing will be prideshipping (that's Seto x Yami). There will be no lemons, limes, and I might (if my ability to write romance/shounen-ai is completely horrible) not even write any kissing scenes. This will depend on how well I consider my writing on these things- they will be, in any case, a very close relationship between out two main characters. The rating is T just to be safe... if anyone thinks I shoulder lower or raise the rating, please tell me.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

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Prologue

They were alive.

Their power was growing.

They had been waiting for thousands of years.

And now they were ready for revenge.

Their prison no longer suited them. The infinite darkness that they resided in for what seemed like eternity held nothing for them anymore; it no longer kept their imagination, preserved their sanity, or aroused their interest. A plan had to be formed if they were going to continue on living.

So they, or the Shadows, searched for a way out, a way to make their presence known once again to the ones that had locked them away so long ago. For once, they had lived among the races; they had been worshipped, adored, and feared by all.

But no longer.

Now, they were nothing more than legends and fairytales; stories of what once might have only existed in the minds of another. Their name was used to scare human children from venturing into the darkness that they represented so well. Parents of the many races would tell the tales and watch as their offspring heeded their words as the truth until they came of an age that their maturity and sensibility pushed the childish tales into the farthest recesses of their minds, to no longer be thought about or feared. After all, darkness was just a part of life, something that happened everyday to them. And things never went bump in the night without a reason- and darkness was never a reason.

They wanted to take back what was theirs - the glory, the worship, the adornment. They wanted it again, and they were going to have it.

The Shadows set out their plan. It was simple enough to them.

They would make a child, a child who resembled the humans that inhabited the life-filled dimension so close to their own. A child of their own, one that would live among them until the time was right. With It, they would make the Shadows known again, to be feared again, to be worshiped for their power.

The child would be the key.

So they began, pooling their vast knowledge, to create the being. First they started with its shell, the physical body that would hold him. A lithe, slender human form with two arms and legs, built with the muscles with rapid reflexes, strength, and agility that would allow their child to be strong and healthy. A face that would represent them as gods they were, with a voice that would sound like them also. Copper-colored skin that would stand the harsh treatment of the sun, which the humans, so carelessly, took for granted. Ebony hair, to reflect the color of the Shadows, that ended with the same hue as the crimson blood that gave life to the ones they wanted to control. The strands of hair that framed his face would be the color of the gold that the humans so greedily idolized instead of them. Then they created their child's eyes, windows onto the mind and soul. They would be a shade that represented the rage that they felt, the power that they held, and the majesty that they possessed.

Finally they created the intricate life force that it would need to survive outside their world, on the earth of the humans, but be able to withstand the pressures of their own shadowy realm. They created the lifeblood, the organs, the nerves, and cells that the humans had, and the brain of their child - one of pure intellect –imaginative, mature, and able to think quickly in order to do its job.

Lastly they gave their child all the power they possessed, making it an invaluable being; one that no human could ever destroy. But with this, they gave their child freedom of choice and will of heart, the unpredictability of humans that made them unique and truly living.

When they were finished, the Shadows swirled around their new creation - movement slow and peaceful as they each took a turn to touch and caress their child. They were pleased, for their child gave them hope that soon their presence would be known again, and the rule that they had once had would be theirs once again.

Content, and as happy as the Shadows could ever be, they marked him as their own. Upon his forehead, they placed the symbol of the Eye, an ancient marking of one of the races long ago in the world of humans that had believed in them and worshipped them for their power. It had been their symbol for revenge and power; it would flare to life on their child's brow as a representation of existence and knowledge.

And then, ever so slowly, their child's heart started beating slowly, without steady rhythm, unused to its task. Its lungs heaved in effort to bring oxygen into its body, blood began to flow, and the nerves began to feel. And at last, their Child of the Shadows, their one and only offspring was alive.

Gradually, the sooty lashes fluttered, and ruby eyes blinked open.

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As time went by, the Shadows watched over their only son. They loved him, as much as Shadows can love, and taught him. There was no need to nurture him, for he had never truly been a child in the human sense of the word.

At first, it was difficult for the Shadows to teach their shadowling about the human world, hard to teach him to speak the verbal language that the humans possessed. Together, they talked through their mind-link, conversations mingling so the entire realm was filled with the talk of many beings that had no verbal language of their own. The young child had to learn quickly the details in the movements they made if he wanted to communicate with other humans. But the child was created with the intelligence needed. It was on the child's own, with the encouragement of the Shadows, that he learned to use his vocal cords in attempt to process sounds that resembled the speech of humans.

Their child thrived on the darkness and mystique of their home. His magically enhanced eyes saw through it, letting him see each individual parent, who had made hazy outlines in attempts to physically familiarize themselves with their protégé. Only when needed to see an over all realm did he choose to invoke his Eye to let the rainbow of soft colors illuminate everything around him, creating being and solidity into his parents and the varying landscape of their realm.

But the child was lonely. Nothing the Shadows did could make him happy when it came to companionship, after all, the Shadows were just that- beings with no true heart or feeling, nothing even resembling the spirit and soul of a human being. So again they set out to create something for him that could do the job they could not. But they didn't want another human child in their home, so they manipulated the basic shape: a body with two arms, two legs, eyes and a mouth to speak.

They dove into their memories of the humans they used to rule and sought out something for their beloved child. Something that would give him comfort, but not demand more attention from him than the Shadows were willing to give. Finally, in a stroke of whimsy, they created a round figure covered in soft brown hair, with arms and legs covered in smooth emerald scales and large, innocent eyes. Their child called him _Kuriboh, _in a fit of imagination and creativity. They talked through their mind-link and verbally their child's companion uttered soft coos of contentment.

Finally, the Shadows decided it was time for their child to enter the world of the humans. Telling his _Kuriboh _one final goodbye, the Shadows parted for their child, creating a doorway into the earthly world.

And for the first time in his existence, the Child of the Shadows felt the rays of the sun on his face.

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End file.
